Massive Guest List for Malta Comic Con 2017 continues to grow, includes many British comic creators

Malta Comic Con 2017 tickets will be on sale exclusively during Wicked Comics Halloween Party, which will take place today, Saturday 28th October 2017 at the St. Andrew’s Band Club in Luqa.

The Halloween Costume party is free of charge and kicks off at 8.00pm. For the duration of the party tickets will be available on one ticket per person bases at the special price of €10 for both days. More details here

Markosia, Orang Utan Comics and Titan Publishing will also have a presence, along with local companies such as Malta Geek Paradise.

The 9th edition of the Malta Comic Con will be held on Saturday 2nd December (10.00am – 6.00pm) and Sunday 3rd December (11.00 am – 7.00pm) 2017 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

It’s one of the best and friendliest comics events in the world, so check out how to get your hands on tickets and travel packages for creators and fans below.

Artists and Comic Creators – A Small Sampling!

Tazio Bettin

Tazio Bettin

An Italian comic artist and illustrator, Tazio’s first professional works appear in roleplaying game manuals such as White Wolf’s Exalted and Evil Hat Productions’ FATE, as well as several other indie publishers. After a fateful encounter with Marvel‘s editor C.B.Cebulski, he decided to become a full time freelance comic artist.

His first publication was in the Italian indie scene with Crazy Camper’s Bren The Black Cat, followed by a brief run with Zenescope Entertainment’s Hunters series and, soon after, the graphic novel Sally of the Wasteland with co-creator Victor Gischler, published by Titan Comics. This was followed by the Order of the Forge graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics, and Independence Day (for Titan Comics).

He is currently working on the ongoing series Warhammer 40,000 by Titan Comics.

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown is a Digital Painter, Cover Artist and Comic Book Colourist. He has worked on comic books, board games, video games, concept art and album covers and for a number of comics publishers – Legendary Entertainment, Dark Horse, Vertigo, IDW, and 2000ad among others.

Dan Christensen

Dan Christensen was born in California, grew up in Arizona, then moved to France. He attended art school in Angouléme, and has since written and drawn several graphic novels, including Riposte, Archer Coe & The Thousand Natural Shocks (with Jamie S. Rich),and Paranormal. In addition to drawing comics, Dan works as a freelance translator for French comic book publishers Ankama, Dargaud and Futuropolis, and has illustrated books for American role-playing game publisher Hero Games. His current graphic novel project, the second volume of Archer Coe for Oni Press, is nearly finished, and is scheduled for release in 2018.

Hari Conner

Hari Conner is an award-winning comics artist and professional illustrator based in the UK who creates fantasy illustrations and comics, most recently Nyx in the Overworld and Finding Home, and is the organiser behind D&Doodles.

Glenn Fabry

Glenn’s career began in 1985, drawing “Slaine” for 2000AD, with writer Pat Mills. He also worked with Mills on the newspaper strip Scatha in 1987. Painted work followed in Crisis, Revolver and Deadline. In 1991 he took over painting the covers of Hellblazer, then written by Garth Ennis.

He has continued his association with Ennis, painting the covers for his Vertigo series Preacher, and drawing Ennis-written stories in The Authority and Thor. In 2003 he drew a story in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman anthology Endless Nights, and in 2005 worked on the comics adaptation of Gaiman’s TV series/novel Neverwhere with writer Mike Carey.

Dean Fenech

Dean teaches Social Studies at a Secondary school in Malta and is also is a writer and artist. In 2011 he self-published his first graphic novel called Apocalypse Rocked – Part 1 (Issue 1 and 2), Issue 3 in 2013, Issue 4 in 2014 (Issue 3 and 4 can now be found printed together in one collection). He’s also published Times are-a-changing, about three characters and their ancestors through Maltese history. Issue 1 (2015) happens during Maltese Prehistory, Issue 2 (2016) is based during the Roman occupation of Malta and issue 3 (which will be published at this Malta Comic Con) will happen during the Knights period of the Island.

Dean is also a co-author of a Social studies text book used in Maltese secondary schools called Studji Socjali – Nifhmu l-Genn tas-Socjeta. He also did the illustrations for Ghetiebi Mikula. Other books with his illustrations include Grajjiet Zabbarin – Vjagg fiz-zmien ma’ Nina u Xandru and others.

Dean has participated in every Malta Comic con so far.

Matthew Theuma Fontebrera

Matthew Theuma Fontebrera

Matthew is an aspiring Illustrator/ Digital Artist who’s obsessed with reptiles. A self taught artist, he’ll be exhibiting for the first time at Malta Comic Con 2017. He studies in Mcast in Fine Arts and would like to get used to traditional art more.

Matthew loves to work on digital art a lot and loves to try new things such as animation and storyboarding. He spends his free time playing Nintendo games, especially animal crossing.

Leeann Hamilton

Leeann Hamilton

Leeann Hamilton has been drawing comics for a long time. She has been credited on animated projects, mobile games development and illustrative work. She is also a tutorial and art contributor for NEO Magazine, a manga and anime themed monthly magazine from the UK.

Leanne has been working behind the scenes with comic book publisher Odd Light LLC on a brand new series, with its flagship title being released in 2018. Currently, Hamilton hosts lectures on 2D art and design at Pulse College in Dublin, Ireland.

She has created many self-published comics (when she’s not busy buying them), with her work Kitteenies being the prime feather in her cap.

She also enjoys making stupid puns, drinking gallons of tea, and playing video games. Always carries a sketchbook and pens.

David Hine

David Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. After his graphic novel Strange Embrace was published in the USA he was hired by Marvel to write several series, including District X, Daredevil: Redemption, Silent War, Civil War: X-Men and Spider-Man Noir while for DC he wrote Detective Comics, Arkham Asylum, The Brave And The Bold, Azrael and The Spirit. He has also written runs of Spawn and The Darkness. For Image he co-created The Bulletproof Coffin with Shaky Kane and Storm Dogs with Doug Braithwaite. Recent work includes Second Sight with Alberto Ponticelli for Aftershock, The Bad, Bad Place with Mark Stafford and Cowboys and Insects with Shaky Kane.

Lisa Hirth

Lisa is an aspiring artist/illustrator, currently studying A level art, with hopes of studying Art in university in Sweden. Her favourite things in the world are anime, webcomics, and kpop, (all of which she has dragged her friends into) and she’s recently gotten into Magic: The Gathering (“You can call me a nerd if you want,” she says. “I’m a fantasy freak and I know it.”).

Apart from digital fanart she loves painting with oils ,watercolour and gouache.

Iella

Iella

Iella is a caffeine dependant Malteser who is currently based in London. She works as a graphic designer, illustrator and storyboard artist at Cartoon Network’s European division. After work, Iella invests her time working on self initiated projects and collaborations with other creative groups.

Her work in comics include various contributions to the popular Pilot Comic Anthologies which were annually published in Malta by Audrienne Degiorgio and Fleur Sciortino, as well as Iella’s comic interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic The Ugly Ducking.

Eric Leone

Using both traditional and digital media, Eric Leone’s work is constituted of high level realistic illustration, concept art and visual storytelling. At the moment he focuses mainly on themes that include fantasy, mythology and magic, as he aims to work as a concept artist/illustrator in the media and entertainment industry.

Bernard Micallef

Bernard Micallef

Bernard Micallef considers himself amongst the veteran local comic creators having exhibited in every edition of the Malta Comic Con. Frequently collaborating with his partner Jeanelle Zammit, he has illustrated various children’s books published in Malta as well as the self published manga Arcana Crusade, RPGB and a short RPG – What If.

Tim Perkins at the 2015 Malta Comic Con. Photo: John Freeman

Tim Perkins

Having been to all previous Malta Comic Con editions, Tim Perkins is an award-winning comic illustrator and writer based in England. He has worked for over 30 years on comics as diverse as Dark Dominion, Transformers, Thundercats, Doctor Who, “Judge Dredd”, Dreamstone, Earthworm Jim and Hot Wheels for Marvel, DC, 2000AD, Defiant, and Tekno, amongst a great many others.

Tim has also worked as concept artist, designer and writer in the worlds of themed rides and attractions and in animation, as well as lecturing about comics, storytelling and creativity. He is also founder and lecturer on the Fantasy Art Unlimited art course and is company director of Wizards Keep Publishing, the publishing imprint of Wizards Keep Limited. Through this imprint Tim released World’s End – Volume 1 – The Riders on the Storm and is currently painting the last half of World’s End – Volume 2 – A Hard Reign’s Gonna Fall which will be released in 2018.

Tim will also be running a special pre-order scheme for Volume 2 with four magnificent incentives available to those who order the second volume during the Malta Comic Con.

Pye Parr

Simon ‘Pye’ Parr spent over 13 years as the Graphic Designer for Rebellion – publishers of 2000AD and the genre novel imprints Solaris, Ravenstone and Abaddon Books.

He left 2000AD this year to pursue a freelance career, which is as terrifying as it is exciting, and is currently working on Realm of the Damned, a new horror graphic novel written by Alec Worley, published by Werewolf Press.

Rebecca Portelli

Becky has a background in illustrating and writing, from secret fanfiction to self-published comics as part of the Pilot collective. Recently, she has entered the realm of game development and completed a master’s degree with a focus on narrative game design, which aims to blend the arts of comic book writing and visual design, with the immsersive possibilities of interaction and roleplay.

When drawing, her main interest is in a character’s design and development, and the way a story can be told through costume design and posture. When gaming, she leans towards narrative-heavy and choice-based adventure games.

She works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, as well as concurrently juggling a few other projects, like localising a Korean RPG, and taking part in an upcoming roleplaying podcast.

Ian Richardson

Ian is a comic book penciller, inker and cover artist best known for his work across several publishers, working on titles from 2000AD, Image Comics, Marvel UK/Panini, Darkhorse Comics and Zenescope Entertainment among others.

Like many UK artists, Ian’s first professional comics work started at 2000AD working on various “Future Shocks”, “Sinister Dexter” and “Judge Dredd” stories before moving onto Image Comics and the Nobles Causes series for a couple of years. With various stops along the way that have included initial work on the graphic novel for the Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig Cowboys & Aliens movie, some children friendly work on Captain America, the Falcon and Iron Man stories for Marvel UK/Panini, all the way through to work on the Halo comic books at Dark Horse Comics.

Currently Ian is a regular cover artist every month for Zenescope Entertainment across their Wonderland, Red Agent, Evil Heroes, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Spirit Hunters and Black Sable titles and more! You’ll also find Ian as the penciller for all the art on the soon to be released later this year title The Unthinkables from Antarctic Press.

John Royle

John Royle has been the regular penciller of IDW‘s various Danger Girl miniseries since 2012. He kicked off with the five-issue Danger Girl/G.I. Joe crossover – a great way to celebrate his two decades in the industry, which began in 1992 with a one-off contribution to Fleetway’s Red Dwarf Smegazine.

He rapidly he moved on to Marvel UK and a run on Knights of Pendragon that took him into 1993 when he embarked on a variety of miniseries – Death’s Head II and the Origin of Die Cut and Death Metal among them – before The House of Ideas itself came calling.

Royle worked for Marvel until 1996, his most high profile projects being Wolverine: Evilution (a 1994 one-shot that he drew in collaboration with Mark Texeira) and Excalibur. Along the way he found time to illustrate a couple of Rai fill-ins for Valiant, Robin-Impluse for DC Comics as well as work on a number of Malibu’s Ultraverse titles, among them Ultraforce, Prime and, most notably, The Phoenix Resurrection.

His next work was for Marvel was primarily on 1997 issues of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but he was only there for a year before outside demands for his talents forced him to retire from comics – although only semi-permanently. After a seven-year break he resurfaced at Panini (Marvel UK as was) for which he contributed to multiple issues of Spectacular Spider-Man over the next seven years while also working on 18 of the first 19 issues of 2004’s Marvel Rampage and being a major contributor to Stan Lee’s Alexa, a 2005 iBooks one-shot.

Then came IDW and Danger Girl. John is also presently providing numerous cover for IDW’s G.I.Joe: Real American Hero.

Fleur Sciortino

Fleur is an Illustrator, graduated in graphic design and currently pursuing a Masters in Digital Games. She is also presently working as a character designer and background artist on the in-development cartoon series They Lived Happily Ever After. Other work credits include storyboarding the film Clavius and designing the set for the TV show Popcorn.

In 2011, Fleur c-created the comic book series Pilot with Audrienne Degiorgio, which has been running now for four years. She also co-owns the game company Game Fondue along with Becky Portelli, where they’re working on producing their launch game The Adventures of Scottie. The first preview will be available at Malta Comic Con.

Berivan Serin

Born in Istanbul, Berivan Serin has been living in Malta for the past six years. Inspired by the honey coloured limestone found on the Island, Berivan started painting on stones by using acrylic.

She finishes off her work by applying a coat of varnish. To date Berivan has painted around 2,500 stones, some of which will be exhibited during her first appearance in the Malta Comic Con.

Ellen Stubbings

Ellen Stubbings

Ellen is a children’s book illustrator and comic creator based in York. She specialises in drawing and creating cute art and products! Her comics include a Weird Cat Chronicles and May Contain Cats, a diary comic about her, her fiancé and their cat. She also sells a range of cute stickers, stationery, ceramics, greeting cards and pin badges.

Steffi Venturi

Steffi Venturi is a 21-year-old Maltese illustrator who is currently studying for a BA in Fine Arts. Apart from drawing cute and adorable pets with huge eyes, she enjoys creating comics inspired from the little and silly moments from her day to day life. This marks the second year she will be exhibiting at Malta Comic Con.

Jeanelle Zammit

Jeanelle Zammit

Jeanelle Zammit is a manga-oriented illustrator, comic creator, figurine crafter and an ever present Malta Comic Con exhibitor. Along with her partner Bernard Micallef, with whom she frequently creatively collaborates, she invites everyone to visit their stall at the Malta Comic Con for cool comics (including RPBG), illustrations and one of a kind hand-made figurines.

Cosplay, Voice Artists and More

Alessandro Aiello

Alessandro Aiello – Kamina Evans

Award-winning cosplayer Alessandro was hooked into the comic world in 2011 at the first edition of EtnaComics and soon became immersed in the world of Cosplay. Over time, Alessandro has perfected his skills reaching unimaginable goals.

His costumes are entirely created by him and although he’s interested in all sectors, he’s specialised in creating armour and accessories.

“The materials I use normally are forex and resin, because they give me the possibility to create exact replicas of the objects I want to make,” he says. “But I use various foam materials, techniques of leather covering and much more.”

His costumes are inspired by Magic: The Gathering (Garrusk and Sorin Markov) JJBA and Gurren lagann.

“Essentially I focus on the interpretation of the character that I make and I try to do exhibitions that amaze the public, by showing an acted narrative in all forms.”

Mae McKinnon

Mae McKinnon is a creature of contradiction: The type of person who loves to discover new things, and faraway places, but worries about sticking her nose into the bookshop she’s walked past every day for years.

If you thought that being a starry eyed idealist and the most bitter of cynics – about the same thing, at the same time – was impossible. Well, it’s not. If you thought it’d be exhausting – you’d be right. Somewhere along the line though, this will, probably, involve dragons.

But then dragons are terribly contradictory creatures themselves. One minute, lunch-guest, next minute, roast (well-cooked in a mobile oven – so much for that magical armour).

And it looks like we’ve gotten distracted from this bio – again. Is this a bad thing? Probably not.

Incidentally, she also wishes she could type as fast as her imagination runs and that someone really should come up with a reliable way to train muses and characters to stick with the story and not go chrono-hopping, explore strange new alternate realities or, even worse, insist on bringing home plot-bunnies.

It’s true what they say about her bookshelf-space though, there never is enough.

Ivo de Palma

Born in 1962, Ivo De Palma is an actor and dubber since 1983. He started his career, mostly vocal, in Milan, were in the 1980s and 90s dubbing was a growing specialisation.

Since the early 90s he is also a dubbing director and lately a dialogist.

He gave his voice to various characters, mostly in the animation sector (where in Milan for a long time it was the most popular genre) from which some remain in the hearts of fans like Pegasus (Seiya) in The Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya), Mirko in Kiss me Licia, Rukawa in Slam Dunk, Maito Gai in Naruto, and Toki in the new Fist of the North Star movies.

He was also the Italian voice of Frank Cooper in the soap-opera Sentieri (Guiding Light), and lately Kevin in the successful sit-com How I met your Mother.

His voice is also present in numerous video games including Assassin’s Creed, World of Warcraft,Mercenaries, Kill Zone, Resident Evil, and various national adverts.

Malta Geek Paradise

Malta Geek Paradise Ltd is currently an online retailer specialising in board games although their merchandise also includes figurines, card games and collectible items. This will be their first participation in the Malta Comic Con.

Pandora’s Box Collectables

Pandora’s Box Collectables is a small shop with a character! Specialising in Action Figures, Statues, Busts, Memorabilia, T-Shirts, Comics, Graphic Novels, Books, Posters, Official Merchandise & other accessories it aims to bring the world of entertainment closer to its customers. Run by friendly people with a genuine passion for pop culture their shop in Tarxien is a must go to place for every comic fan.

The Sith Crafter – Nicholas Vella Magri Demajo

A huge Star Wars fan from a very young age, 18-year-old Nicholas Vella Magri Demajo is very much looking forward to the next instalment of the saga – The Last Jedi, not only because he is curious to see what happens next, but because he can’t wait to see uber-baddie Kylo Ren’s new helmet.

You see, Nicholas – who goes by the moniker ‘The Sith Crafter’ – is not your run-of-the-mill aficionado who collects memorabilia; he actually creates it himself as he has also been making masks and helmets taken from the franchise since he was 14-years-old.

Nicholas has just completed a two-year course in Pure Mathematics and Physics A level and is going to go into University and pursue the architecture course. His father Adrian is a dentist at Mater Die and his mother Elaine is a teacher at a secondary school. His 10-year-old brother Adam, who shares the same interest in Star Wars as he does, is still a student at San Andrea School.

When he is not fishing, camping, hiking, playing billiards, playing poker with friends (just for fun, he hastens to add), he is usually to be found working on one of his creations.

Get Your Tickets!

You can book tickets via the web site – check this link – or at Wicked Comics events in the run up to the Con. Wicked Comics would like to inform those that wish to exhibit at the MCC 2017 that table booking will close at the end of October and late entries will not be accepted – so if you haven’t applied, do so as soon as possible. Application forms can be downloaded here and sent to (info@maltacomic-con.com).

Wicked Comics are also offering a number of travelling and accommodation packages for foreign creators and fans who wish to join the Malta Comic Convention. Details for creators can be found here on the Malta Comic Con website and for Fans here

Interested parties are kindly requested to send an email to Wicked Comics on info@maltacomic-con.com

Published by

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, John describes himself as is a "freelance comics operative", working as an editor, as Creative Consultant on the Dan Dare audio adventures for B7 Media, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
John has worked in British comics publishing for over 30 years. His credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine at Marvel UK and Star Trek Magazine and Babylon 5 Magazine at Titan Magazines. He also edited STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics, including Team M.O.B.I.L.E. and The Beatles Story. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War and “Dan Dare” for Tian Books.
He’s the writer of “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz, published on Tapastic; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood for digital comic 100% Biodegradable.
View all posts by John Freeman